Electric clock.



L P. STADEL.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 4, 1909.

Patented Mar. 28; 1911.

SHEET 1.

2 SHEETS- f Jamil) L. F. STADEL.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4, 1909.

987,768, Patentd Mar. 2 1911-.

2 BHBETS-SHEET 2.

serves.

.J'NITED-ST TQ A EN onnlon LEWIS r. s'rannr, or :rnn'nron'r, :crromean.

ntnciznrc cLoon,

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 4, 1909. semi No. 511,132.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that/I LEWIS F. Samoan, a citizen of the United States, residing at FI'QQFOI'E, in the county of Barry and State 1ch1gan, have lnvented a new and useof l\' ful Electric Clock, of which the following is a specification. a

This invention has relation to improve ments in electric clocks in which the impelling power for the time and the striking side of the clock is caused by the action of an electric current.

In' accordance with (hep-resent invention there is provided a pendulum' and escapemcnt mechanism therefor arranged to 'pe-' riodically close an electric circuitwhich in turn causes the energization ofamagnet' con nected up to a train of gearing in such manner as to drive the same. The electrically driven gear train is properly proportioned for imparting to time indicating hands the proper relative movement and at the same time the electric drivingmechanism'is util ized for winding a spring which latter in turn causes the actuation ofthe escapement thus keeping the pendulum in motion.

'A striking movement is provided, being driven by a sprin but the spring is maintaincd in a worm condition by connections to the time movement which latter is actu- The invention will be best understood from aconsideration of the following detail description taken in connection with. the accompanying. drawin s forming a part of this specification, in which drawings Figure 1 is a View of a clock movement, in art diagrammatically represented, embod yin the present invention. Fig. 2 is a detai'le view of the electric and escapement sides of the clock movement. Fig. 3 is a detail section showing the escapement wheel and adjacent parts.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown" a clock movement 1 including botha time movement and a strrklng movement, these twov movements being interconnected in a manner which willherei'nafter appear.

At, an appr0pri'atepointin the clock movement there is provided an arloor. 2 to one end 'of which there-is secured anescape m'ent wheel. 3 preferably with thirty-six teeth, but since the number of teeth may vary with the general proportions of the movement such numbermay be taken simplyas indicative and no attempt is made to show any correct number in the drawings.

The escap'ement wheel is under the control Tris insula ed from the remainder of the an chor for a purpose'which will presently 21p 1 pear." v a .In the structure shown an, ordinary pendulum 6' is illustrated and this may be taken as indicative oi any suitable, pendulum or i any other governing ineans'for the escape ment mechanism:

Securedto the "arbor 2 is one endof a spring 6,"sho wnas-a spiral spring, and the other end of this spring is secure to a spring drum loose on the'arbor 2 but fast to a gear wheel '7 which gear wheel is also loose on the arbor 2.: By applying a suitable poi'ver to the gear wheel? in the proper direction the spring 6 may he wound and, unwinding, actuatethe escapernentwheel 3 and so keep the pendulum or other govern ing means in motionthe same as though the escapement wheel was driven from a main spring as is the case in ordinary clock movements. p

In the showing of the drawings the gear wheel 7 is inmesh with an idler or transfer gear wheel 8.and this gear Wheel 8 is in end remotefrom thev gear Wheel 9 is a ratchet wheel 11 which 1atter,'if the escapement wheel has 36 teeth, may have 72 teeth, but as before stated the number of teeth are not at all mandatory and may vary with different movements.

Mounted on the-arbor 10, or pivotally sup- Q ported in the axis of the arbor '10 is a lever 12 having one end bent relative to the other .in the particular structure shown in the drawings and this endterminates adjacent to the periphery of the ratchet wheel 11 where it carries a pawl 13 adapted to engage the teeth ofthe ratchet wheel in such manner,

that when the lever 12 is moved about its ivot in one direction the pawly13 will ride idly over one or more teeth of the ratchet wheel though in practice the movementof the lever will include but one tooth ata time. The other end oi the lever 12 is car-- ried to one side of the clock movement and there isprovided with an armature 14:.within the attractive influence of an electromagnet The 'lever 12 is normally constrained in a direction to carry the armature 1e away from the magnet 15 by a suitable for limiting the movement of the lever 12' under the action of the magnet and of the 1 spring 16.

A back stop pawlis appropriately mounted on, the frame of the clock movement to cause the ratchet wheel 11 to move in one direction only whenactuated by the lever'12. A brush 21 is so supported in the clock movement frame as to bear upon the arbor 2 and make electrical connection therewith. This brush may be connected by a conductor 22 to one side of the magnet 15 and the other side of this magnet may be connected by .a conductor 23 to a battery 2 1 or othersuitable source of electric energy. The other side of the battery 24 is connected by a conductor 25 to the anchore. Let it be assumed that the pendulum 6 is in motion then the ends of the anchor & will make alternate engagement with the escapement wheel 3. On each alternate engagement of the anchor with the escapementwheel there is established a circuit from the battery 24 to the conductor 23 and magnet 15, thence by'the conductor 22 to the brush 21 and tothe arbor 2 from whence the circuit is completed through the end of the anchor 4: connected to the conductor 25 and by the latter back to the battery 2 1. This will cause the'energization of the magnet 15 during the brief period of timethat the circuit is completed and the armature 14 will be attracted against the action of the spring 16. The attraction of the armature 14 and the participation .in movement therewith of the lever 12 causes the engagement of the pawl 13' with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 11 and theturning ofthis wheel a distance equal to the length of a tooth. This motion of the ratchet wheel is transmitted to the gear wheel 9 and by the latter to the gear wheel 8 and from the said gear wheel 8 to the gear heel 7 and so to the spring 6, winding the latter a commensurate amount.

'The power thus stored within the spring 6 is transmitted to the arbor 2 by the reaction of the spring and the escapement wheel 3 is urged in the proper direction by the unwinding of the spring 6 and the'power thustransmitted is further transmitted by the anchor escapement 1 to the pendulum 6' thus maintaining the latter in motion. The spring 6 constitutes the intermediate power storing means receiving the power intermittently and giving itout continuously so that the escapement wheel 8 is subject to the continuous driving power intermittently renewed. As soon as the anchor 4: has swung in the opposite direction the circuit is broken because the opposite end of the anchor is insulated from the end first under consideration. The magnet 15 is therefore deener gized and the action of the spring 16 is to move the lever 12 in a direction to cause the pawl 13 to pass over a tooth into engagement with itsactive shoulder ready for the next impulse transmitted to the magnet 15.

These impulses come at re ular intervals as determined by the speed'ol thependulum 6 or whatever other governing means may be employed for the escapelnent mechanism.

011 the time side of the clock movement there is provided the usual hand arbor 26 coupled up by a suitable gear train 83, 33, 26, 10, to the arbor 10. It will be under stood that the arbor 26 is provided with the usual slow down geartrain .for the hour hand of the clock movement, the minute hand as usual being carried by the arbor 26. There is also shown a gear train 27 being that usually employed for striking movements and therefore only diagrammatically represented in the drawings. This gear train is under the control of a spring 28 of the usual type used in connection with striking movements and one end of this spring 28 is connected to' a gear wheel 29 which in turn 'is connected by idler gears 30, 31, and

82 respectively to the gear wheel 33. on the J arbor. 26. The movement of the arbor 10 imparted thereto by the ratchet wheel, is transmitted first to the arbor 26 through the gear wheels, '10, 26, 33, 33 and to the time indicating hand of the clock, and from there is transmitted by the gears 33, 32, 31,

and 29 to the spring 28 so that the latter may be wound between the times of its release for causing the actuation of the striking movement.

- In large clocks the weight of the hands tends to accelerate themovement of the clock i at times and retard it at other times. With the movement constructed in accordance.

the actuating magnets of all the other clocks may be connected up in the same circuit controlled by the escapement mechanism of the one clock provided therewith.

.To prevent shock or jar the lever 12 may be provided with elastic bumpers where it comes in contact with the screws 17 and 18.

In large clocks the striker-movement spring is so strong that a pawl and ratchet llU 'cloclr may be present'in but one clock and escapement is usually necessary between the minute hand arbor and the gear wheel driving the same, so that the hands may be set.

By'secu'ring a ratchet wheel rigidly to the minute-hand arbor and a pawl to the driving gear-wheel, which is then loose on the arbor,

-slipping, such as might occur in the connecing the escape wheel, means inc uding an electromagnet for tensioni ng the 'spring, an

anchor' engaging the escape wheel and adapted to make electrical connection therewith, an' electrical circuit' and a hand arbor actuated by' the aforesaid electromagnet independently of the spring.

In testimony'that I claim the foregoing as. my own, I have hereto afiixed my sig- L nature in the presence of two'witnesses.

LEWIS F. STADEL. Witnesses:' 1 v ELLA C. Hnoox,

WILLIAM vL. THORPE. 

